El Dorado

NO. 141 HANGMAN'S TREE - In the days of 1849, when this city was called Hangtown, vigilantes executed many men for various crimes. This was the site of Hay Yard, on which stood the 'Hangman's Tree.' The stump of the tree is under the building on which the plaque is placed.Location: 305 Main St. Placerville

NO. 142 STUDEBAKER'S SHOP (SITE OF) - This shop was built in the early 1850s. The front part housed a blacksmith shop operated by Ollis and Hinds, and John Mohler Studebaker rented a part of the rear. Here he had a bench and sort of woodworking shop where he repaired and worked on wagon wheels and the like. A little later he began to make wheelbarrows for the miners' use. He became engaged in the making of ammunition wagons for the Union Army - from that grew his extensive wagon and carriage business and, eventually, the automobile business.Location: 543 Main St, Placerville

NO. 143 MARSHALL MONUMENT - In 1887 the State of California purchased the site for a monument to commemorate James Marshall, who in 1848 discovered gold near Coloma. Marshall's discovery started the 'gold rush,' that westward trek of Argonauts that marked a turning point in California history. The figure of Marshall atop the monument is pointing to the place of discovery on the South Fork of the American River.Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma

NO. 319 MARSHALL'S BLACKSMITH SHOP - Marshall's blacksmith shop, located on the Gray Eagle Mine property, was built in 1872-73. Marshall not only was a smithy but also a qualified carpenter.Location: On State Hwy 193 (P.M. 21.1), Kelsey

NO. 456 SHINGLE SPRINGS - The Boston-Newton Joint Stock Association, which left Boston April 16 and arrived at Sutter's Fort September 27 after a remarkable journey across the continent, camped here on September 26, 1849. A rich store of written records preserved by these pioneers has left a fascinating picture of the gold rush.Location: Mother Lode Dr near post office, Shingle Springs

NO. 475 OLD DRY DIGGINS-OLD HANGTOWN-PLACERVILLE - This rich mining camp was established on the banks of Hangtown Creek in the spring of 1848. Millions in gold were taken from its ravines and hills, and it served as a supply center for mining camps and transportation terminus for the famous Comstock Lode. John M. Studebaker, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, Phillip Armour, and Edwin Markham were among well-known men who contributed to Placerville's history, as did John A. 'Snowshoe' Thompson, who carried from 60 to 80 pounds of mail on skis from Placerville over the Sierra to Carson Valley during winter months.Location: NE corner of Bedford and Main, Placerville

NO. 484 GEORGETOWN - Founded August 7, 1849, by George Phipps and party, Georgetown was nicknamed Growlersburg because of the heavy nuggets that 'growled' in the miners' pans. After the disastrous fire of 1852 the old town was moved from the canyon in lower Main Street to its present site, and, unique in early-day planning, Main Street was laid out 100 feet wide, with side streets 60 feet. The hub of an immensely rich gold mining area, Georgetown had a population of about three thousand in 1854-56.Location: Mounted on wall in front of fire station, Main St, Georgetown

NO. 486 EL DORADO (ORIGINALLY MUD SPRINGS) - El Dorado, 'The Gilded One,' was first known as Mud Springs from the boggy quagmire the cattle and horses made of a nearby watering place. Originally an important camp on the old Carson Emigrant Trail, by 1849-50 it had become the center of a mining district and the crossroads for freight and stage lines. At the height of the rush its large gold production supported a population of several thousand.Location: N side of intersection of Pleasant Valley Rd and Church St, El Dorado

NO. 487 DIAMOND SPRINGS - This town, settled in 1848, derived its name from its crystal clear springs. Among the richest spots in this vicinity, its diggings produced a 25-pound nugget, one of the largest ever found in El Dorado County. Its most thriving period was in 1851 and, through its lumber, lime production, and agriculture, Diamond Springs has retained some of its early importance.Location: NW corner of Hwy 49 at China Garden Rd, Diamond Springs

NO. 521 GREENWOOD - John Greenwood, a trapper and guide who came to California in 1844, established a trading post here in 1849. The gold rush town of Greenwood boasted a theater, four hotels, 14 stores, a brewery, and four saloons. Among its illustrious citizens was John A. Stone, California songwriter, who was buried here in 1863.Location: SW corner of the intersection of State Hwy 193 and Greenwood St, Greenwood

NO. 530 GOLD DISCOVERY SITE - This monument marks the site of John A. Sutter's sawmill. In its tail-race, on January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold and started great rush of Argonauts to California. The Society of California Pioneers definitely located and marked the site in 1924 - additional timbers and relics, including the original tailrace unearthed in 1947, were discovered after the property became a state park. The State erected the Marshall Monument overlooking this spot in 1890 through efforts begun in 1886 by the Native Sons of the Golden West. Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, follow trail from Gold Discovery parking lot to American River, State Hwy 49 (P.M. 23.3), Coloma

NO. 569 MORMON ISLAND - Early in March 1848, W. Sidney, S. Willis, and Wilford Hudson, members of the Mormon Battalion, set out from Sutter's Fort to hunt deer. Stopping on the south fork of the American River, they found gold. They told their story on returning to the fort, and soon about 150 Mormons and other miners flocked to the site, which was named Mormon Island. This was the first major gold strike in California after James W. Marshall's discovery at Coloma. The population of the town in 1853 was more than 2,500. It had four hotels, three dry-goods stores, five general merchandise stores, an express office, and many small shops. The first ball in Sacramento County was held here on December 25, 1849. A fire destroyed the town in 1856, and it was never rebuilt. Its site was inundated by Folsom Lake in 1955.Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, N side, Folsom Point picnic area, near the Mormon Island Dam, 3 mi NE of Folsom

NO. 570 NEGRO HILL - These historic mining towns, and other mining camps of the gold rush era now inundated by Folsom Lake, are commemorated by the nearby Mormon Island Memorial Cemetery. Here were reburied the pioneers whose graves were flooded when the lake was formed by Folsom Dam.Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Green Valley Rd, 0.1 mi NE of El Dorado-Sacramento County line, 4 mi NE of Folsom

NO. 571 SALMON FALLS - These historic mining towns, and other mining camps of the gold rush era now inundated by Folsom Lake, are commemorated by the nearby Mormon Island Memorial Cemetery. Here were reburied the pioneers whose graves were flooded when the lake was formed by Folsom Dam.Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Green Valley Rd, 0.1 mi NE of El Dorado-Sacramento County line, 4 mi NE of Folsom

NO. 572 CONDEMNED BAR - These historic mining towns, and other mining camps of the gold rush era now inundated by Folsom Lake, are commemorated by the nearby Mormon Island Memorial Cemetery. Here were reburied the pioneers whose graves were flooded when the lake was formed by Folsom Dam.Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Green Valley Rd, 0.1 mi NE of El Dorado-Sacramento County line, 4 mi NE of Folsom

NO. 699 MORMON TAVERN-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - At this site on the old Clarksville-White Rock Emigrant Road was Mormon Tavern. Constructed in 1849, this popular stage stop was enlarged and operated by Franklin Winchell in 1851. It became a remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express and on April 4, 1860, pony rider Sam (Bill) Hamilton changed horses here on the first eastbound trip.Location: On frontage rd adjacent to State Hwy 50 (P.M. 1.5), take El Dorado Hills Blvd S for 0.5 mi to old White Rd (rd to Clarksville), then NE 0.9 mi, then go W 0.3 mi on PG&E Clarksville Substation Rd to plaque, 0.5 mi W of Clarksville

NO. 700 EL DORADO-NEVADA HOUSE (MUD SPRINGS) -OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - Trading post, emigrant stop, and mining camp of the 1850s, this became one of the remount stations of the Central Overland Pony Express. On April 13, 1860, pony rider William (Sam) Hamilton changed horses here at the Nevada House while carrying the first westbound mail of the Pony Express from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento.Location: SW corner of Pleasant Valley Rd near Church St, El Dorado

NO. 701 PLACERVILLE-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - Gold rush town and western terminus of the Placerville-Carson Road to the Comstock, Placerville was a relay station of the Central Overland Pony Express from April 4, 1860 until June 30, 1861. Here on April 4, 1860, the first eastbound pony rider, William (Sam) Hamilton, changed horses, added an express letter to his mochila, and sped away for Sportsman's Hall. Placerville was the western terminus of the Pony Express from July 1, 1861 until its discontinuance on October 26, 1861.Location: SW corner of Main and Sacramento, Placerville

NO. 703 PLEASANT GROVE HOUSE OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was the site of a popular road-house where the ponies of the Central Overland Pony Express were changed from July 1, 1860 to June 30, 1861. From here the route of the pony riders continued westward to Folsom and eastward to Placerville through Rescue, Dry Creek Crossing, and Missouri Flat.Location: Green Valley Rd (P.M. 5.5), 3.9 mi W of Rescue

NO. 704 SPORTSMAN'S HALL OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was the site of Sportsman's Hall, also known as Twelve-Mile House, the hotel operated in the latter 1850s and 1860s by John and James Blair. A stopping place for stages and teams of the Comstock, it became a relay station of the Central Overland Pony Express. Here, at 7:40 a.m., April 4, 1860, pony rider William (Sam) Hamilton rode in from Placerville and handed the express mail to Warren Upson, who two minutes later sped on his way eastward.Location: 5622 Old Pony Express Trail, Cedar Grove

NO. 705 MOORE'S (RIVERTON)-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was the site of a change station of the Pioneer Stage Company in the 1850s and 1860s. During 1860-1861, the Central Overland Pony Express maintained the first pony remount station east of Sportsman's Hall here.Location: At intersection of US. Hwy 50 and Ice House Rd (P.M. 39.7), 9.0 mi W of Kyburz

NO. 706 WEBSTER'S (SUGAR LOAF HOUSE)-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was the site of Webster's Sugar Loaf House, well-known stopping place during the Comstock rush. Beginning in April 1860, it was used as a remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express, and in 1861 it became a horse change station for pioneer stage companies and the Overland Mail.Location: On Hwy 50 (P.M. 48. 0), 1.0 mi W of Kyburz

NO. 707 STRAWBERRY VALLEY HOUSE-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This popular resort and stopping place for stages and teams of the Comstock, established by Swift and Watson in 1856, became a remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express. Here on April 4, 1860, Division Superintendent Bolivar Roberts waited with a string of mules to help pony rider Warren Upson through the snowstorm on Echo Summit.Location: Strawberry, on Hwy 50 (P.M. 578), 8.7 mi E of Kyburz

NO. 708 YANK'S STATION-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was the site of the most eastern remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express in California. Established as a trading post on the Placerville-Carson Road in 1851 by Martin Smith, it became a popular hostelry and stage stop operated by Ephraim 'Yank' Clement. Pony rider Warren Upson arrived here on the evening of April 28, 1860 and, changing ponies, galloped on to Friday's in Nevada to deliver his mochila to Bob Haslam for the ride to Genoa. Used as a pony remount station until October 26, 1861, the station was sold to George D. H. Meyers in 1873.Location: Yank's Station shopping center, SW corner State Hwy 50 and Apache Ave, Meyers

NO. 728 FRIDAY'S STATION-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - At this point the riders of the Central Overland Pony Express crossed the Nevada-California line. Three-quarters of a mile east of here, at Edgewood in Nevada, are the remains of the most easterly remount station of the California Division of the Pony Express. Established about 1858 by Friday Burke and James Small as a stage station on the Placerville-Carson City Road, it became the home station of pony rider Bob Haslam until October 26, 1861 when the Pony Express was succeeded by the Transcontinental Telegraph.Location: Stateline, Hwy 50

NO. 747 COLOMA ROAD-RESCUE - Past this point on the old Coloma Road, running between Sutter's Fort and his sawmill on the American river, James W. Marshall rode with the first gold discovered at Coloma on January 24, 1848. Traveled by thousands to and from the diggings, this road became the route of California's earliest stageline, established in 1849 by James E. Birch.Location: 4222 Green Valley Rd at Rescue Junction General Store, Rescue

NO. 748 COLOMA ROAD-COLOMA - Here in the valley of the Cul-luh-mah Indians, James W. Marshall discovered gold on January 24, 1848, in the tailrace of Sutter's sawmill. The old Coloma Road, opened in 1847 from Sutter's Fort to Coloma, was used by Marshall to carry the news of the discovery to Captain John A. Sutter. During the gold rush, it was used by thousands of miners going to and from the diggings. In 1849 it became the route of California's first stage line, established by James E. Birch.Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, in Gold Discovery parking area, State Hwy 49, Coloma

NO. 767 METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - Erected in 1851, this is the oldest church building in El Dorado County. Its original site was on the corner of Cedar Ravine and Main Street, Placerville.Location: 1031 Thompson Way near Cedar Ravine St, Placerville

NO. 815 WAKAMATSU TEA AND SILK FARM COLONY - The agricultural settlement of pioneer Japanese immigrants who arrived at Gold Hill on June 8, 1869-the only tea and silk farm established in California-had a promising outlook but failed tragically in less than two years. This was the initial Japanese-influenced agricultural attempt in California.Location: Gold Trails Elementary School, 889 Cold Springs Rd, Gold Hill